


The Darren Colfer Dilemma

by dreamcatcher (darcangell23)



Category: Glee RPF
Genre: Body Swap, Freaky Friday type of stuff, M/M, Sci-Fi, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-21
Updated: 2013-07-23
Packaged: 2017-12-20 22:33:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/892675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darcangell23/pseuds/dreamcatcher
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After their first silly argument Chris and Darren find their worlds turned upside down when they wake up in each other's shoes, literally. Can they learn the lessons they're meant to learn and return their lives to normal? Or will they be living the rest of their lives inside another person's head?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I know this prologue is kind of short but I had to get it out. And well, I just wanted to do this Freaky Friday kind of thing. Chris' starting boyfriend in this is a made up character. This is a CrissColfer endgame story. The rating is for later chapters. My humblest respect for Cory and the cast. RIP Cory. May you always be remembered. Comments make me smile. Enjoy!

Chris Colfer and Darren Criss were best friends.

 

They had met during the filming of season two of Glee when Darren was cast as a possible love interest for Chris' character Kurt. They'd hit it off immediately and had been inseparable ever since.

 

In the three to four years since they had met, Chris and Darren had never fought once. They laughed and joked with each other. They cuddled. They threw playful banter each other's way. They play bickered. They pretended to argue. But never once had they had a real honest argument.

 

All of that was about to change.

 

It was a normal Monday morning on the set of Glee. Filming for season five was about to begin and the emotional balance of the cast was at an all time high. With the loss of one of their own, Cory Monteith who played Finn, everyone was a little too easy to set off. It said something about their professionalism that they were all there ready to get started after filming had been delayed due to Cory's death.

 

But other than the elephant in the room that everybody was trying desperately not to bring up for the sole purpose of trying to stay focused, nothing was out of the ordinary.

 

Until Chris' phone rang in the middle of a scene briefing.

 

Ryan Murphy, the show's creator raised an eyebrow at Chris. The twenty-three year old cringed and picked his phone up from the table.

 

"It's Kasey," he said shortly.

 

Darren was seated beside him. He turned his head away and rolled his eyes, determined not to show his irritation.

 

Chris was dating a guy named Kasey Ellefield, something Darren would never say so aloud, but he didn't approve of the guy. Though if you asked him why, he wouldn't have an answer. Darren was still trying to figure out why he had an issue with his best friend dating other guys. He hadn't been able to put his finger on it yet.

 

"Didn't you tell him you would not be available today Chris?" Ryan asked firmly but gently.

 

The pale man sighed and ran a hand over his face. "I did but he doesn't seem to get it," he replied.

 

Things hadn't exactly been all unicorns and rainbows lately. Maybe it was just the way Chris saw things and maybe he was being delusional but Kasey was starting to seem needy to him. The fact that he still called even though Chris had told him plenty of times that he would not be available to speak on the phone, said a lot.

 

Ryan held out his hand for the phone. Chris looked at him for a moment.

 

"Give me the phone Chris," Ryan stated. Chris hesitated before carefully handing over his phone, which was still ringing. Darren bit his lip and stifled a giggle. Ryan hit the accept button and put the phone to his ear. "Kasey, this is Ryan Murphy. I believe Chris told you he was not available today. I understand that you like spending time with him but I would appreciate it if you would honor him by listening when he tells you he doesn't have the time to speak."

 

Chris and Darren heard a sort of whining sound on the other end of the line and Ryan's face became very serious.

 

"Mr. Ellefield," Ryan quipped a moment later. "If you do not have respect for Chris' profession, than I'm afraid I have to express my disapproval of your relationship with him. If you attempt to call Chris again before at least ten this evening, I will not hesitate to block your number." He hung up the phone and handed it back to Chris.

 

"What was he whining about?" Darren said in an annoyed tone. Chris threw him a look somewhat between a glare and a frown.

 

"He was going on and on about how I don't have the right to control when he talks to his boyfriend. That Chris is his and he'll talk to him whenever he damn wants and Chris had better answer because he should be more important than that, and I quote, 'stupid TV show'." Ryan made air quotes around the phrase.

 

Chris looked back at him with wide eyes. "He really said that?" he asked.

 

Darren scoffed and rolled his eyes. This time, he didn't bother to hide the action from his best friend. Chris looked at him.

 

"What's your problem?" Chris asked.

 

That was enough to cause Darren to snap. "What's my problem? My problem is that you're dating an idiot and you're too blind to see that he's overly needy and likely just using you for your money and doesn't give a damn about you or your feelings or your job!"

 

Chris stood up in defense, glaring daggers down at Darren. "That's not true!" he shouted, feeling the heat flooding his face.

 

Darren mimicked Chris, jumping to his feet and glaring at him.

 

"Oh no? What was his reaction when you told him about Cory?" Chris was quiet for a moment. "Because if I remember right, you told me he merely said, 'That sucks,' and proceeded to ask you where you wanted to go for dinner!"

 

Chris didn't say anything. He knew Darren was right but he didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing such a thing. His ears were red with anger. Ryan was watching the two of them carefully.

 

"You deserve better Chris! You can find someone better than him!" Darren suddenly shouted. Chris felt his anger boil over right then.

 

"I deserve better?! Oh right Darren! Because it's so goddamn easy for me to be in a relationship! Did you forget? I'm gay! It's not half as easy for me to find someone as it is for you! You're living on easy street when it comes to being in a relationship! I'm surprised you're not in one! You don't have to worry as much about PDA as I do! You have it easy!"

 

Darren's eyes went dark and his expression emotionless. He closed the small space between them and locked his eyes on Chris'.

 

"You think my life is so goddamn easy Chris?" he asked in a dark voice. "You wouldn't last twenty-four hours in my shoes." With these words, he turned and walked out of the meeting room, slamming the door behind him.

 

Chris tutted. "And you wouldn't last twenty-four hours in mine," he muttered before following Darren out of the room.

 

Ryan leaned over and rested his fingers against his temples, rubbing in slow small circles. Well, this season's filming was getting off to a swell start.

 

* * *

 

It is funny the way the universe works. It's funny how there's a God who seems to think we need to be taught a lesson from time to time. This was one of those times.

 

Darren and Chris both left the set, retreating to their respective trailers. Darren kicked the door of his trailer after shutting it and dropped onto his couch, putting his face in his hand. Chris slammed his door shut and turned the volume all the way up on his iPod dock, cranking on the music and trying to be clear that he did not want to be bothered by anyone.

 

Darren didn't have the faintest idea how long he sat there like that, head reeling. He'd just had an argument with Chris; Chris who was the last person Darren had ever expected to fight with. Perhaps now, when the lot of them were still grieving the loss of Cory, was not the best time for Darren to bring up his issues with Kasey but he didn't care right then. What was done was done and that was all there was to it. Did he regret it? Maybe he would later but right now he was too angry to care.

 

Eventually, his over active brain got the best of him and he fell asleep.

 

Chris kept the volume cranked high on his music. He laid back on his couch with his hands tucked under his head and his eyes fixed on the ceiling. Tear tracks cut down his naturally pale cheeks. He was crying. Darren had made him cry.

 

That was one thing that Chris had never thought would happen, Darren making him cry. Maybe for a happy reason but certainly not like this.

 

Chris turned over and clutched a couch pillow to his chest. He couldn't tell Darren the real reason he was so determined to cling to Kasey. Because he couldn't have who he really wanted. Chris was always able to tell Darren anything but this, this was something he couldn't tell him. How did you tell your best friend you were in love with him? Especially when said best friend was straight? Yeah, no, Chris couldn't tell him. And now his heart was broken.

 

He sniffed several times, allowing the music to numb him to the world and he drifted off to sleep.

 

It's when we're asleep that most unexplained magic happens. For Chris and Darren, this was no different. And they would both wake up in a completely different situation than that they had fallen asleep in.

 

* * *

 

Darren was awoken by the sound of extremely loud music. His eyes popped open, searching for the source of the music. His cheeks felt stiff as though he had been crying. When had he been crying? He was clutching a pillow in his arms. Wait, a pillow? His couch didn't have pillows.

 

The twenty-six year old blinked around and took in the disco ball. Where had that come from? Darren didn't have a disco ball in his trailer. Chris did though. Wait, this wasn't his trailer, he realized after his eyes adjusted to his surroundings. It was Chris'. What was he doing in Chris' trailer?

 

Darren groaned and sat up. Was it just his imagination or did his voice sound slightly higher pitched? He ran his hands over his face. Hold on, his skin wasn't that smooth, nor had he been crying that he knew of. What the hell was going on here?

 

Slowly, he pulled his hands away from his face and looked down at them. Okay, now he knew his skin was not that pale! Looking at his hands was like looking at Chris' hands. His eyes traveled from his hands to his arms and up to the short sleeves of his shirt. Wait, why was he wearing Chris' Star Wars shirt? The very one Chris was wearing that day?

 

Panic quelled in the man's stomach and he shot up from the couch, hands flying into his hair. Where were his curls? Was that hairspray he could feel? When did the ground suddenly get that much farther down?

 

"Oh God, oh God, oh God," he choked out. Darren rushed to the small bathroom in the trailer and flung the door open. It was when he finally was able to look into the mirror that Darren froze stalk still.

 

Chris was staring back at him.

 

* * *

 

Across the lot, Chris was just stirring from his uncomfortable position on the couch. He had a crick in his neck and wait, hadn't he fallen asleep lying down? When had he switched positions so that he was sitting up?

 

Chris blinked his eyes open and the first thing he noticed was the guitar sitting in the corner. What the hell? Chris didn't have a guitar. He didn't play guitar. He didn't play any instrument actually. So where had it come from?

 

Another moment of gazing told him it looked a lot like Darren's guitar. The one he often brought out during breaks and played for everyone between shoots and stuff. Chris would know that guitar anywhere.

 

He brought his hand up to rub at the soreness in his neck and his fingers met with a knotted mess of curls at the back of his head. What? Chris didn't have curls.

 

This was starting to make no sense and it took him a moment to realize it was extremely quiet in the trailer. What happened to his loud music?

 

A closer look told him he wasn't even in his trailer. This was Darren's trailer. Just like it was Darren's guitar and Darren's curls. Chris looked down at himself. And that was definitely Darren's University of Michigan shirt he was wearing.

 

"Breathe, Chris, breathe," he told himself, feeling fear clench around him as his voice came out a lot deeper than it should have. "There has to be a rational explanation for this."

 

Chris stood from the couch and started pacing. Rational explanation? Who was he kidding? He stopped pacing and ran to the bathroom.

 

Staring back out at him from the bathroom mirror, was Darren.


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look it's a new chapter! Things are about to get a lot more confusing. Just keep in mind that Chris is Darren and Darren is Chris. The start of the mayhem is soon to begin.

Darren continued to stare at himself in the mirror. How could this be? He couldn't be Chris! That wasn't possible! He lifted a hand and pinched at the skin of Chris' face. He watched the reflection copy his exact movements to exact precision. No no no no no.

 

Suddenly, there was a pounding at the door. "Christopher open up this door right now!" Darren recognized the voice as belonging to Chris' boyfriend Kasey. Was this really how the man treated his best friend?

 

It was then Darren got an idea. He was in Chris' body. Chris' boyfriend was pounding at the door outside. He was supposedly Chris now. Well, it was time to take out the trash than.

 

"You'll thank me for this someday Chris," Darren said, staring resolutely into the mirror. Time to put his acting face on and get rid of that good for nothing Kasey once and for all.

 

"Christopher I know you're in there!" Kasey shouted, continuing to pound at the door. Darren frowned. How could Chris let this idiot treat him this way?

 

Oh right, he was supposed to be mad at Chris because of this asshole. Ironically, waking up in your best friend's body was the perfect cure when you were angry at said best friend.

 

Schooling his face, or Chris' face, Darren walked out of the bathroom and approached the trailer door. He was just about to open it when he heard another voice just outside the door.

 

"What are you doing here Kasey?" it asked and Darren froze. That was his own voice. That was him talking. He knew that. Oh God! It hadn't even crossed his mind yet. If he was in Chris' body, there was only one logical place Chris could be.

 

In Darren's body.

 

Panicking, Darren flung open the door. "Chris?" he asked, not thinking for a second.

 

The two men at the door turned and looked at him. Chris had Darren's eyes wide as saucers. Kasey just looked downright confused.

 

"You wanna tell me why you suddenly think this bozo is you?" he asked drily.

 

Darren felt anger bubble within him and a side-glance at Chris - and God it felt weird to be staring at himself from the point of view of someone else's body - told him he didn't exactly appreciate the comment either.

 

Darren opened his mouth - or Chris' mouth - to reply, but Chris beat him to the punch.

 

"This bozo is his best friend," he said shortly and Darren had to give him credit for slipping into being him so easily. "And his best friend needs to talk to him pronto. So you had better beat it before I send word to Ryan that you've intruded the premises."

 

Kasey smirked at him. "Is that so? Well, it just so happens that I am his boyfriend and boyfriend trumps best friend!" He studied his nails, seemingly bored. "And Chris wouldn't let Ryan do anything to me."

 

"The hell I won't!" Chris suddenly spat, clapping a hand to his mouth when he remembered a second too late he was supposed to be Darren. Kasey looked at him oddly.

 

"What the hell is going on here?" he asked, gaze flickering back and forth between Chris and Darren or rather Darren and Chris. He narrowed his eyes at whom he thought was Chris. "First you call him you," he went on and turned his gaze on whom he thought was Darren. "And then you respond to something as though you are Chris. What the hell?!"

 

Darren knew he had to do something to remedy this and damn quick. The last thing they needed was to have to explain the situation to Kasey and if he was being honest, Darren didn't fully understand it yet. He doubted Chris did either and furthermore, there was no way Kasey would believe the truth anyway.

 

"Darren and I are having a bit of an off day, Kasey," Darren said quickly, drawing Kasey's attention back to him. "We had an argument earlier so we're both a bit on edge. If you would be so kind as to let us talk…"

 

Kasey cut him off with a scoff. "Like hell I'm leaving you alone with this bozo Chris. Don't think I haven't noticed the heart eyes you're always sending his way!"

 

Darren blinked. He looked over at Chris with wide eyes and was met with the sight if his own olive skin flushed pink. Holy shit, it was true! Chris looked at him with heart eyes!

 

Wait no, that couldn't be right. Darren shook his head off and oh, is that what he looked like biting his lip? God that was hot.

 

Snapping out of it again because he was not about to become weirdly attracted to himself, Darren's face hardened as he looked back at Kasey.

 

"Darren is my best friend. He always will be. You are my boyfriend," he said, inwardly cringing at the word. "I chose you over him. You have nothing to worry about." He wanted so badly to tear down on Kasey but he couldn't. Not with Chris standing right there.

 

"Because it's over," they both heard quietly come out of Darren's mouth. Well, what was physically Darren's mouth. They both turned and stared at him. It was Darren's turn to widen Chris' eyes as he stared back at him in disbelief. Kasey's face was flushed in anger.

 

Kasey reached out a finger and started jabbing it in Darren's chest. Chris cringed at the harshness of the jabs and Darren felt bad for him, wishing he was in his own body to take them.

 

"Nice try bozo. But last time I checked, the best friend isn't allowed to call the breakup. And you can bet I won't be breaking up with Chris anyway. He is mine! Do you hear me?! Mine!"

 

"Hey!" shouted a sudden voice. The three of them turned to find a security guard approaching them. "I don't think you have permission to be on this lot sir," he said harshly to Kasey.

 

Kasey rolled his eyes. "I'm Chris Colfer's boyfriend. I have every right to be here," he spat.

 

The security guard looked at Darren and it took Darren a whole thirty seconds to realize he thought he was Chris.

 

"I didn't authorize him to come today," he finally said firmly. "In fact, I remember distinctly telling him several times that I would not be available for him today. A fact he already violated by calling me and getting yelled at by Ryan!"

 

Kasey rolled his eyes again. "Please, you think your pussy producer is going to stop me from talking to and seeing my man?"

 

Darren narrowed his eyes and glanced at Chris, who was biting his lip again. "As a matter of fact, I do." Kasey raised an eyebrow at him. "A few things Kasey," he went on. "One, I don't like the way you treat me. I'm your boyfriend, not your goddamn slave. Two, I told you I was not available because of work so I expect you to respect that and my job so I don't lose it. Three, I don't like how you treat Darren. And four, we're through." He threw his eyes up to the security guard. "Kindly escort him off the premises."

 

The security guard nodded. "Of course Chris," he said, gripping Kasey by the arm. "Let's go you." Chris and Darren stood there watching him cart Kasey off before Chris turned to Darren.

 

"I think we need to talk," he said. All Darren could do was nod his head, or Chris' head.

 

Chris followed Darren back into the trailer and shut the door behind him. For a moment, the two of them just stood there staring at each other, neither knowing how to approach the elephant in the room.

 

"How the hell did this happen?" Darren finally asked. He stared at his own face, looking back at him with just as much confusion as he knew he had.

 

Chris shook his head, gaping at himself. "I don't have a clue. But when I said you wouldn't last twenty-four hours in my shoes, having you put in my body was not what I had in mind."

 

Darren stared at him for a moment. "You didn't say that, I did."

 

Chris sighed. "You didn't hear me. I said it after you left, or as you were leaving."

 

"And now we're stuck in Freaky Friday," Darren said exasperatedly.

 

"I think you mean Manic Monday," Chris replied. Darren snorted.

 

"Whatever. This is not how I meant for us to make up."

 

Chris fell quiet for a moment. He watched Darren with a thoughtful expression on his face. "You never liked Kasey, did you?" he asked finally, voice quiet.

 

Darren looked over at him from where he'd been staring at the wall. "No," he said shortly. Chris opened his mouth to reply and Darren went on. "It's like I told him, I don't like the way he treats you or the way he disrespects you and your job and I don't like the way he treats me either. He's selfish Chris. You deserve better than that."

 

Chris was astounded by the words that Darren was speaking right then. "Why didn't you just tell me that?" he asked, moving closer to his best friend.

 

"Because you were so happy and…and I was afraid if I said something you'd get mad because I wasn't being supportive like a best friend should be."

 

They fell into silence for several moments and Chris bit his lip. He knew Darren was right. When he was still blind to Kasey's ways, he definitely would not be happy if he knew Darren wasn't happy for him.

 

After a moment, Chris gently raised a hand and placed it  on Darren's cheek. Or his own cheek. Good God this was weird. Darren raised a hand and covered Chris' with it. They just stared at each other for a long time.

 

Flips were going off in Darren's stomach. Was this how Chris felt every time he looked at him? Wait, now that he was in Chris' body, would he get Chris' feelings? Oh God that would be weird. Chris was gay. Darren liked girls and…

 

"Oh shit!" Darren suddenly spat, prompting Chris to drop his hand and stare at him wide-eyed.

 

"What the hell Dare?" Chris asked, backing away a few steps and folding his arms across his chest. "Way to ruin the moment." Though the moment was awkward considering their current situation.

 

"Sorry, I just…remembered I have a date tonight." Darren watched his own eyes get impossibly wider.

 

"Oh no no no no no, I can't go on your date Darren. No way, no how. I'm not going to have sex with a girl."

 

Darren blanched. "Who said anything about sex?" he asked. Chris gave him a look. Darren sighed. "You don't have to have sex with her Chris."

 

Chris was frantically shaking his head. "I'm not doing it Darren. I love you, you're my best friend and I will do anything for you. But I'm not going out with a girl."

 

Darren was quiet for a moment. "Than what are we going to do? I can't go out with her. And we have no idea how long we'll be stuck like this."

 

Chris started pacing. "I guess there's only one option," he said finally.

 

"What's that?"

 

"I have to call the date off."

 

"Wait, why do you have to call off my date?"

 

Chris gave him a look as if to say, 'Really Darren? You can't figure that out?' Darren just stared at him in confusion for a moment and Chris decided he didn't like that expression on his own face. It looked completely off-kilter to him.

 

He sighed heavily. "Because you're me in case you forgot genius," he said.

 

"Oh," was Darren's reply. "Right."

 

Chris rolled his eyes. "Is your cell phone in your pocket Dare?" he asked.

 

Darren raised an eyebrow. "You can check you know. It's not a crime to stick your hands in my pockets." He watched his own face tinge pink. "That didn't come out right, did it?"

 

"No," Chris confirmed, shaking his head. "But I know what you meant."

 

Just as he was reaching into Darren's pockets to see if the phone was in there, there came a knock at the trailer door.

 

"Chris, if you're calm enough for it, we need you to go over this scene," came Ryan's voice from the other side of the door.

 

Chris and Darren glanced at each other, both with fear written all over their faces. Great, how were they going to explain this to Ryan?


End file.
